Removing scratches

You can use the tool to enclose the flawed area and fill it with the surrounding content that you want to keep. If the background is relatively smooth, the result is usually satisfying. Scratches on a textured or more complex background may be more effectively removed with the Clone Brush tool. For information about the Clone Brush tool, see Removing flaws and objects.

For images containing many small scratches, you can use the Automatic Small Scratch Remover command. For more information, see To remove scratches automatically.

2 On the Tools toolbar, choose the Scratch Remover tool

3 On the Tool Options palette, choose one of the following options to define the shape of the Scratch Remover tool:

• square edge

— corrects scratches that are perpendicular to object edges, in an open area, or of uniform color

• beveled edge

— corrects scratches that are at an angle to object edges

4 Position the pointer just outside the scratch on one end, hold down the left mouse button, and drag to set a selection box over the scratch.

You can also
Move the selection box starting point in 1‑pixel increments	Before releasing the mouse button, press an Arrow key.
Increase or decrease the width of the selection box in 1-pixel increments	Before releasing the mouse button, press Page up or Page down.
Use surrounding pixels to fill the area perpendicular to the edge of the selection box	Before releasing the mouse button, press Shift. This technique is ideal for photos in which the background contains areas with defined borders and lines, such as a brick wall.

To avoid removing important details from areas surrounding the scratch, you can limit the correction by creating a selection. For information about creating selections, see Creating selections.

If you are not satisfied with the result, click the Undo button

, reselect the scratch, and try varying the width of the tool.

If the scratch extends over several different backgrounds, you can try removing the scratch one section at a time.